I was blown away with what I saw in Laos. The most interesting thing I noticed was how people practiced Buddhism. Supposedly most of the Chinese are Buddhists. However I never really saw people practicing it. In Laos everyone had a shrine out front of their home or business that was full of offerings and incense.
The pictures below are of offerings that were left at a temple, but you saw similar offerings at smaller shrines throughout the city in front of every business and home.
When I went to temples or the Buddha statues there were people praying. I was respectful of their culture and their religion and I did not disturb them. However there were many tourists who seemed not to do that. It just makes sense to me to watch your actions and be respectful at all times. There was not any outright rude people, but there were minor things. Like for example my friend and I woke up at 6 am to watch the monks collect alms. However everyone crowded around them and took pictures. They were all up in their face. It seemed like they were treating these monks lie a tourist sight or just there for entertainment. However that is part of their religion and a part of their daily routine. Some of the older monks did not go much further after this fan fare. There were also people giving alms to the monks. I would have liked the experience, but I felt like I shouldn't since it didn't feel like my place. When I was visiting a temple I read a sign that said that you should give alms only if it is meaningful. So I watched at a distance and the whole thing did not feel like a religious ritual, but a tourist trap. So it was not really enjoyable. I suggest that tourist read about the culture and the do's and dont's of the culture. I was in a good position since I traveled with someone who had visited many times. I stayed with her dad who had been working in Laos for five years so he was able to explain the culture somewhat. I learned how to say hello, thank you, and no problem. I also learned how to greet someone properly. You put your hands together and bow your head.
However the temples were beautiful and here is a selection of pictures.
I was awed at all of the historical and old monuments that had been preserved. For example this black stupa, seen below,is in the middle of the capitol city which was built in 1827.
An interesting difference I found was when I flew from the capitol city to another major city. We bought our tickets the day of and only about an hour before the plane took off. The computer they used to book the tickets was the oldest thing I had ever seen in my life. When we went through security the guard asked me where and when I got the tickets. I pointed behind me at the ticket office and said I got them just thirty minutes ago. He then had to write down my name on the passenger manifest. It was not a high tech system with computers that were linked together sharing information. Then the plane was late. However that was no big deal. Eventually it came and they got everyone on the plane and in the air in no time. Apparently the flights are often late, but they always come eventually. After having dealt with the TSA and many different airports I couldn't believe this.
However this sort of laid back it will work out eventually mentality is common in Laos. Many of the people like to sit along the Mekong river and drink Beer Lao. Beer Lao is made in Laos and their is a lot of national pride for it. Tiger beer and Heinikein are trying to gain popularity in the region, but Beer Lao is winning. I drank a lot of it while I was there and enjoyed it.
Here is a few pictures of enjoying cold drinks along the rivers of Laos.
I also enjoyed drinking while relaxing along the river. I liked this because it was a nice break in the very busy sight seeing schedule. We also usually stopped for beer along the river in the afternoon when it started getting really hot. I was in Laos during the cold season and it was very hot and humid. I can't imagine it during the hot season. I could survive in the heat but it got to a point wear it was just barely bearable. So we took breaks in the shade along the river or in air conditioned cafe's with iced coffee. On the really hot days we took several breaks in the shade or air conditioning.
Also apparently this low end technology is common. A lot of the country does not have access to internet or any very advanced technology. The education system is not teaching ed tech tools either. However these local people are often hired on at international companies or businesses and they expect them to use technology as a part of their job. I think that those companies have to be aware of the culture and compensate for it. If they are going to expect their workers to use technology as an integral part of their job then they must train them how to use it. I wonder how the travel agent learned to use the very old computer at her work or if this computer model is common in the country. I have blogged about how these type of ed tech skills are important on my ed tech blog. It was interesting to see the differences in cultural expectations and education.
The greatest experience was when I got to eat homemade traditional food at a local persons home. We were traveling by car to a more rural city in the southern part of the country. We were invited to share a meal with a local family. It was a village holiday and the way it was described to me was like a version of thanksgiving that is celebrated in this village. The food was amazing and the family was so nice. They kept feeding us and bringing more food. It was an endless stream of food and Beer Lao. However we were later invited to another local persons home and were told that after stuffing our face with all that food we were going to have another meal. So I ended up having two lunches that day. I had to make room to eat because it would have been rude not to eat at this persons home. I drank even more Beer Lao until I got the munchies and made room for more food. It reminded me a lot of formal dinners in China. The hosts always giving you more food and alcohol. I always feel bad not eating it. There was a formal lunch the Chinese principal threw for us. He scooped up a lot of shrimp and put it on my plate. I am not a big fan of shrimp espcially since in China you have to peel and rip off their legs. However I felt like I had to eat some of them since it would have been rude. I enjoyed the exchange of culture, food, drinks, friendship, and music. They played ganam style since we were talking about it and singing it. I told them I really enjoyed music and would love to hear traditional Lao music. They seemed awed or surprised that I was so interested. I spoke no Lao and they spoke very little English, but through food, drinks, and music we were able to connect. I mean there were people at the lunch who spoke both Lao and English to bridge the gap. However for those of us who didn't I think we were able to connect because of the music and food. It was amazing. I always knew that genuine interest and respect for culture helped communication. I always knew that music was a universal language that could transcend language. I learned this early on long before I ever traveled to any country. I was able to understand culture and people through music. I traveled to many countries through music. I learned all of this during my time in Heart of the Valley Childrens Choir. I wish I had been able to travel to Laos through music. However I did get the chance now. It was amazing.
I really enjoyed seeing another part of Asia and knew it was time well spent. I wanted to stay in China to see more of the area that had interested me. I won't get a chance to explore this area later. I have take advantage of my location now. I considered going home for my three week vacation to see family and friends. However that would have been more expensive if you consider the flight, the cost of food, drinks, and travel around the states to see friends. I may have spent a large amount of money on flights, but I saved money on everything else. Food, lodging, souvenirs, and everything else was very cheap. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity so I took it. I was really excited to visit a country I spent a long time studying in an Asian societies class in college. I hope to go somewhere interesting next year for my three week vacation especially since the company will be paying for my flight.
To see all my photos click the links below:
Laos Part One
Laos Part Two
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